The Federal Appropriations Process

Federal Spending: An Overview of the Budget and Appropriations Process and how it ties in with PanCAN’s Advocacy efforts

PanCAN is very engaged in the appropriations process on Capitol Hill because it is through these annual deliberations that funding levels for cancer research are determined. By starting early and remaining vigilant throughout the appropriations process, advocates can help shape funding levels that best reflect the needs of pancreatic cancer patients. The following provides a background on the budget and appropriations process for those who want a more detailed understanding. While understanding the overall process is helpful, it is not necessary to be a successful advocate.

While Congress passes many laws each year, the only legislation they are required to pass, according to the Constitution, are bills that determine federal spending for each government program. Currently, there are 12 appropriations bills that fund each major department of government and often one bill includes funding for several related departments and agencies. PanCAN is primarily concerned about the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS) Appropriations bill. The L-HHS bill includes funding for many government programs including education, healthcare agencies like the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Administration for Children and Families, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and the Employment and Training Administration – just to name a few. The bill also funds medical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and — most importantly to PanCAN — the National Cancer Institute (NCI). There are many steps that the L-HHS bill must go through before NCI has its funding for the coming year.

The federal government’s fiscal year begins on October 1st; this means the budget and appropriations process must be completed by September 30th to meet that goal. While there is an "official" timeline, deadlines are often missed. The following lays out the process as it would be followed under ideal conditions.

The annual federal funding cycle formally begins in January with the President's State of the Union address, followed by the formal release of the Administration’s budget plan for the next fiscal year. While the President’s budget is typically used as a blueprint, Congress is not required to follow it. The Congressional process begins with the House and Senate Budget Committees developing their own blueprint, called a "Budget Resolution." This measure is important because it sets out overall funding level goals for each of the 12 appropriations bills. The "official" deadline for both chambers passing the Budget Resolution is April 15th.

The process then moves along to the House & Senate Appropriations Committees. Each of the appropriations bills is assigned to one of the Appropriations Committees’ subcommittees to allocate funding at the program level (e.g., funding for the NIH and NCI). The L-HHS bill is assigned to the L-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee in both the House and the Senate. In general, the process from here follows a standard legislative process – first the subcommittees agree on the bill, next it goes to the full committees, and then to the floor for a vote.

While the House & Senate both have similar committees and subcommittees, each chamber works on their own appropriations bills independently of the other. As a result, by the end of the process, the Senate and the House typically have bills that contain different components. Next, leaders from both chambers meet and hammer out a compromise agreement which then must be sent back to the House and to the Senate for a vote. Finally, the bill is sent to the President to sign.

The L-HHS bill impacts many different interests and government agencies. It is therefore essential to make sure our voice is heard above the clamor. Again, you don’t have to be an expert in the appropriations process! PanCAN staff will work with you to let you know the key points at which we need to make our collective voice heard. The bottom line is that by activating our grassroots advocates across the country in a coordinated fashion, we have the power to persuade congressional representatives to increase the amount of money dedicated to the NIH and NCI and as a result, increase the amount of money available for pancreatic research.